Kotla out of reckoning for Corporate Cup

The renovation work of the outfield, main square and practice areas at the Ferozeshah Kotla has forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to drop it as one of the venues for the upcoming Corporate Cup in September, reports Arjun Sen.

The renovation work of the outfield, main square and practice areas at the Ferozeshah Kotla has forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to drop it as one of the venues for the upcoming Corporate Cup in September.

In a meeting of the National Cricket Academy’s Technical Committee on July 8, BCCI president Sharad Pawar expressed his interest in hosting matches in the capital.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), however, were not ready to host matches and accordingly wrote to Daljit Singh, the chairman of BCCI’s Grounds and Pitches Committee on July 13, asking for his advice on the matter.

“The BCCI wants to play the inaugural Corporate Cup matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla from September 1…but as I remember, you had indicated that the main ground will only be available from October 1,” the letter said.

In his reply, Singh wrote that the Kotla would not be ready for matches in the first week of September.

“The entire renovation programme was drawn keeping in mind the monsoons and the requirements of the ground for the T20 Champions League and the ODI against Australia in October,” Singh wrote.

“In these circumstances, I would like to suggest that we do not play any matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla in the first week of September.”

Speaking to the Hindustan Times on the matter, DDCA Sports Secretary Sunil Dev said: “We have worked really hard on this renovation and therefore requested the BCCI to understand our problem in hosting the matches. There is still some time left before the Kotla is ready, and we didn’t want to hurry up.”